Metaverse

“The Metaverse is not magic, it is a new world created by aliens from planet Earth to give an infinite experience of the existing world.” (Anuj Jasani)

Nowadays, everybody talks about the Metaverse and all the opportunities it may bring, besides the unique technologies supporting this virtual reality world. However, it is debated what the Metaverse really is, and still, in 2022 there isn’t yet a clear definition of it. The Metaverse can be seen as a product/service with seven core attributes (e.g., persistence, synchronicity, and interoperability), a virtual place to meet and interact with other players, but also a moment in which physical life is replaced by a digital one building up new identities, relationships, and experiences.

Despite this, we should not deny the importance of technology and its interconnection with the Metaverse (e.g., augmented reality, virtual reality, brain-computer interfaces). Indeed, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) allow individuals to control 3D avatars and objects by modulating brain signals in real-time. By the mid-2030s early adopters will start to engage themselves in the Metaverse while using BCI technologies connecting their neocortex (i.e., where higher cognitive functions originate) with the virtual space.

What is Metaverse, and how to access it?

In my previous article, I discussed the “Metaverse” and how it rapidly became the new trend in the world of tech, business, and finance. However, its definition is not always clear and is mainly shaped by the ambitions of people using it. In the article, I discussed how the term was originally coined by Neal Stephenson in his novel Snow Crash (1992) where he described a virtual world located in an imaginary future. Indeed, in Snow Crash, the metaverse is represented as virtual reality (VR) world where real estate can be bought and sold virtually any users wearing VR headsets can choose their own 3D avatar to play the game.

Furthermore, what makes Metaverse accessible are three technologies: a VR headset, digital ownership, and a 3D avatar. Nevertheless, Metaverse can be accessed even without those elements. Indeed, Metaverse is a concept visualized as a virtual space (verisimilar to our reality) where people can work, play, shop, and socialize - nothing different from what individuals usually can do in the reality. Furthermore, the sense of “presence” is emphasized in the metaverse, letting people feel closer to each other as if they are really next to each other. However, although this use of Metaverse can already be found in video games, there is another way to think about it. The venture capitalist Matthew Ball defines the Metaverse as “the successor state to the mobile internet.” In fact, the Metaverse aims to look at nowadays technologies (e.g., smartphones and the internet) to replace them in the future. In addition, Ball expects to create the Metaverse as an open, interconnected, interoperable space as the internet is today.

Suddenly, besides the use of VR, the popularity of the Metaverse was boosted by the entrance of disruptive technologies such as blockchains which made cryptocurrency and NFTs possible, thus leading anyone to talk about it.